Three-pointed sobriety

Mercedes-Benz’s offerings might have been less eye-catching, but that was more than offset by their considerable advantage in being genuine. I’m not going to dwell on the little GLA crossover because it’s not really a Motor Sport car, but the new Mercedes S-class coupé is fascinating.

In proportion it’s from a time gone by: a two-door pillarless coupé more than five metres long, but its design and execution are entirely modern. It looks aggressive from the front, sleek from the side and positively louche from the back, while its interior eschews the traditional walnut trim in favour of ceramics and highly polished aluminium. It’s not a production car yet – that will come next year – but is said to be more than 90 per cent of the real deal.

Andrew Frankel